Zambia: Government to install fibre optic traffic cameras

The government of Zambia plans to install fibre-optic connected cameras along the country’s roads in a bid to better enforce traffic laws. This is planned to minimise road accidents that claim thousands of lives on Zambian roads every year. Over 1,000 people died of road accidents last year alone in Zambia, according to a report by the country’s police.

Zambia’s minister of works, supply, communications and transport Christopher Yaluma has said the installation of cameras along the nation’s roads is intended to become effective once the country’s Road Transport and Safety Agency (RATSA) has put in place a solid database to identify owners of vehicles.

The cameras are planned to be placed around city highways in order to check over-speeding and disregard of traffic light signals. In addition to the cameras, Yaluma has also said law enforcement agents are to be placed on highways throughout the country’s cities to try to ensure that people adhere to traffic rules.

“The government is concerned about the increase in road traffic accidents that have claimed a lot of lives. Therefore, cameras will be placed around the cities and highways with fibre optic to check for over speeding and abrogation of traffic light signals”, Yaluma said.

In addition to installing cameras, Yaluma has said the Zambian government is in the process of procuring breathalysers that are planned to help police officers detect drunk drivers.